The plane had apparently taken off from Puerto Rico and was en route to Arizona when it crashed, according to local media.

Initial information indicated five to nine people were aboard, Puerto Rico National Guard Spokesman Maj. Paul Dahlen told The Associated Press. All were Puerto Ricans, and the plane belonged to the 156th Air Wing, on a mission to Arizona. Dahlen did not have details on the mission.

The cause wasn't immediately clear; firefighters were still working to make the site safe for investigators, said Senior Master Sgt. Roger Parsons of the Georgia Air National Guard. "Any information about what caused this or any facts about the aircraft will come out in the investigation," he said.

The U.S. territory's Gov. Ricardo Rossello expressed his sadness, tweeting that "our prayers are with the families of the Puerto Rican crew."

President Donald Trump tweeted that he had been briefed on the crash, and sent "thoughts and prayers for the victims, their families and the great men and women of the National Guard."

Savannah's Air National Guard base has been heavily involved in hurricane recovery efforts in Puerto Rico. In September 2017, it was designated by the Air National Guard as the hub of operations to the island after hurricanes Irma and Maria.

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The airport said on social media that some flights were affected even though the crash happened off its property, and advised passengers to check with airlines for updates.

Denver Goodwin who works at a wrecker service down the street from the crash told WSAV: "It was horrible, the ground shook like a bomb was going off.

"All the people in the building started panicking. It was absolutely horrible."

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